Teat-cup for milking-machines.



77am m4 C. DE LEON.

TEAT CUP FOR MILKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0121.22, 1914.

1 ,1 84,632; Patented May 23, 1916.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1914.

7 Patgnted May 23,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Tia

CARLOS DE LEON, 0F DAYTON,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO N. RUTHERFORD.

CHEAT-CUP FOR MILKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed October 22, 1914. Serial No. 868,147.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, CARLOS on LEON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tent-Cups for Milking-Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to milking apparatus andparticularly to teat cupsor ud er attachments therefor.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as themeans and mode of operation of such devices whereby they will not onlybe cheapened in construction, but will be more efiiclent inuse, easily.applied, easy and. comfortable upon the animal, readily cleansed, andunlikely to get out ofirre'aair. y

A fu'rt er object of the invention is to provide such adevice possessingno inaccessible places or shoulders or obstructions which might afi'ordlodgment for bacteria or foreign matter but which will possess acontinuous unbroken surface and which may be easily and readilyseparated into its component parts for cleansing purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a teat cup of such shapethat pressure may be app ied to the ad er through-' out a regionsurrounding the boat but removed therefrom.

With the above primary and other h1g1 dental objects in view, as willmore fullyiiifiipear in the specification, the invent io sists of thefeatures of construct parts and combinations thereof mode of operation,or their equivaients, as hereinafter described-and set forthinxtheclaims;

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 a.

teat cup separated one. from the other.

Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views of modifications of the teatcup. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of the diaphragm.Fig. 10 is a modification in which the extension head is skeletonized;

Like parts are indicated by similar chap I v v '18 provided for thetubular member 12.

acters of reference throughout the several views.

ln the' drawings, 1 is the receptacle or pail in which the milk iscollected on the coverof which is detachabl supported the vacuum chamberor valved suction chamber 2. The suction chamber 2 is connected by aflexible conduit or hose 3 with the pump 4 by which the air is exhaustedfrom the vacuum chamber 2. The pump 4 may be operated by hand or bypower applied in any suitable and well known manner. The pump ispreferably, though not necessarily, operated by the to and fro movementof a liexible reciprocatory cable 5 to which the paston 6 of the pump isdetachably conne'cte No. 862,780, to which reference is made fordetailed description of the construction and operation of these parts.

Leading to the vacuum chamber 2 is the i 70. The driving connection ofthe-pump and flexible supply conduit 7 which may be of rubber, fabric,or other suitable material, I

but which is preferably a flexible metallic conduit such as are now incommon use. Located intermediate the ends of the conduit 7' is aninterposed section 8 of transparent material such as glass, celluloid,or similar material, through which the flow of milk can be observed.Carried at the extremity of the conduit 7' is the claw or cluster,commonly employed, in milking apparatus, jivhlchcomprises a main tubularconduit 9 ancee with a plurality of branch con- .dnits o1" nipples 10.Connected with each of the branch conduits or nipples 10 by ashort-length 11 of flexible conduit are the teat cups forming thesubject matter hereof. Eabh cup comprises a cylindrical tapered .fil iula member 12, the taper, of

which is somewhat arcuate, giving to it a cigar shaped contour whichforms the teat cup proper. This member'is provided with a contractedtubular extension 13 at oneend with which the: short conduit 11 engagesand at the opposite end is provided with a flaring or outwardlyprojecting collar or flange 14.

A flaring funnel-like extensionhead 15 This head member is provided witha rounded bearing or top edge of much greater diameter than the tubularmember 12 which is adapted to engage and support the udder adjacent tothe teat. The support afforded by the extension top prevents brokenblood vessels in the udder. and, by applying light pressure to the udderduring the milking operation, induces a better flow of milk and producesa cleaner evacuation of the milk glands. The flaring or extension head15 is provided with a contracted neck portion 16 adapted to inclose thetubular member 12. Adjacent to the neck portion it is provided with aseat 17. \Vhen the parts are assembled the flaring flange or collar 14of the tubular member 12 overhangs the seat portion 17 of the flaring orextension head. A flexible diaphragm 18 of rubber or similar materialprovided with a central orifice 19 for the introduction of the teat iscontracted over the flanged upper end of the tubular member 12. Thediaphragm 18 is preferably provided with a beaded or reinforcedperipheral edge 20 which contracts upon the tubular member 12immediately below the flange or collar 14 thereof while the diaphragmoverlies the upper edge of the member 12. \Vith the diaphragm thusengaged upon the member 12 the said member is introduced through theneck portion of the extension head 14 and is drawn down tightly upon theseat 17 thereof. This compresses the peripheral margin of the diaphragmbetween the flaring flange 14 of the member 12 and the seat 17 of theextension head, thus forming a hermetically sealed joint. I

Any suitable or convenient means may be employed for adjusting the headand teat cup and retaining them in adjusted position. In the drawings aconvenient and eflicient form of adjusting means is shown comprising astud or projection 21 on' the side of the teat cup and a slot 22 in theneck portion of the extension head which permits the member 12 and studto pass therethrough. The lower edge of the neck of the flaringextension head is beveled or inclined as at 23. A rotary movement of theflaring head and the member 12 cau'ses the inclined or beveled edge 23to engage the stud 22 thereby forcing the member 12 downward through theflaring head and com ressing the marginal bead 20 of the diapragmbetween the flange 14 and the seat 17. j

' In Fig. 7 there is shown a modification of thisiconstruction in whichthe tubular memberfl2 'is provided with a peripheral oove 24 and theneck of the flaring head 18 provided with a terminal head 25 adapted toengagethe groove 24 when the parts are in their adjusted position. Inthis construction the neck portion of the flaring head is slottedlongitudinally, as shown at 26,

process of spinning but it to provide a plurality of resilient fingers27 to facilitate the engagement or disengagement of the parts.

1n Fig. 8 there is shown a modification of the construction beforedescribed in which the teat cup or tubular portion 12 and the flaringhead portion are integral. The general contour of the parts and theiroperation are the same as before described. The seat or offset portionof the extension head in this construction is preferably slightlyrecessed or undercut, as shown at 28, into which the margin of thediaphragm. is permitted to expand to retain it in position. When inoperation the suction or vacuum produced by the pump 4 will draw thediaphragm firmly upon its seat to form an airtight joint.

If so desired, a transparent section similar to the section 8 may beinterposed in each of the flexible conduits 11, as indicated at 29,thereby enabling the flow of milk from each'individual teat cup to beobserved.

A flat diaphragm or one occupying a common Iplane throughout has beenfound highly e 'cient, and when expanded over the top of the tubularmember 12 will maintain its position. with the marginal portioncontracted beneath the flange and the central portion overlying theflange. If so desired a concave diaphragm of flexible material, such asis shown in detailin Fig. 9, may be employed.

The tubular member 12 and the extension head 14 are preferably formedfrom non-corrosive metal such as German silver, aluminum, or some of theother alloyed metals, butmay also be made of glass. When constructedfrom metal the parts are preferably made from sheet metal by a isobvious that such parts may be made by stamping in dies or by other wellknown procedures. It is to be noted that the parts are easily separableone from parts present smooth continuous surfaces affording no place forlodgment-of bacteria or foreign material.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described, possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviouslyis susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detailconstruction or arrangement of parts, without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to certain structuralfeatures, it is to be understood I that the-invention is not limited toany spa,

cific details but that the means and cont-M 130 the other and that the aregion surrounding struction herein described comprise but one mode ofputting the invention into effect, and the invention is thereforeclaimed broadly in any of its possible forms or modifications within thescopewof the appended claims.

Having thus descriled my invention, I claim;

'1. In a milkin apparatus, a teat cup comprising a tubtsarinclosure forthe teat, and an extension from the tube having an outturned widenedperipheral supporting portion engaging the udder in a region surroundingthe teat, the said cup having its internal surface concavely curved awayfrom the axis of said portion, so as to lie wholly offset or spaced fromand out of engagement with the neck of the teat between said teat andthe body of the udder.

2. In a milkin apparatus, a teat cup comprising a tubu ar inclosure forthe teat, and a distended head carried by said tubular inclosure andarranged to surround the neck of the teat in spaced relation theretobetween thcbody of the teat and body of the udder, and having anout-turned peripheral portion to engage and support the udderin the neckportion of the teat.

3.- In a milking apparatus, a teat cup comprising a tubular inclosurefor the teat, and a distended head carried by said closure to surroundthe neck of the teat, said head having an out-turned peri heral ortionproviding a convex surface 0 materia width to engage and support theudder in the region surrounding the neck of the teat.

4. In a milking apparatus, a tubular receiver, a flaring bearing head ofgreater diameter than the receiver, said receiver and bearing head beingformed to provide clampin portions at their points of juncture, an aperforated disk extending across the upper end of the receiver andperipherally held by said clamping portions, the head being provided atits upper edge with a peripheral flange to bear upon the udder and beingcurved or offset outwardly between said bearing portion and said washerso as to lie wholly out of contact with the neck of the teat.

5. In a milking apparatus,

comprising a tubular receiver a teat cup having an copies 0! this patentmay be obtained to:

Me cents each, by droning the annular bearing head of greater diameterthan said receiver, said receiver head being provided with a receivingpoint of juncture, and a perforated diaphragm disk extending across thereceiver at its point of junction with the bearing head and providedwith a thickened margirlial portion held in said receiving channe 6. Ina milking apparatus, a teat cup comprising a tubular inclosure for theteat having an outwardly extending marginal flange, an annular uddersupporting member of greater-diameter than said tubular closure andhaving an inwardly bent portion extending under said peripheral flangeof the inclosure and forming a receiving channel, and a perforateddiaphragm supported by the marginal flange of the tubular inclosure andhaving a marginal portion underlying said -flange and clamped betweenthe same and the inwardly extending portion of the bearing member.

7 In a milking apparatus, a teat cup comprising a tubular inclosure forthe teat provided with an out-turned marginal flange, an udder supportof greater diameter than said tubular inclosure and having a sleeveembracing the same and an inwardly extending portion projecting beneathsaid marginal flange and formin a receiving channel, and a perforatediaphragm comprising a disk seated upon said marginal flange and havinga depending flange projecting downwardly into said channel andterminating in a thickened rim clamped within said channel.

8. In a milking apparatus, a tubular receiver for the teat, a headmember both longitudinally and revolubly adjustable in relation with thereceiver, a projection on one of the members and a spiral bearing on theother member engaged by the projection whereby a rotary movement of onemember will cause a simultaneous longitudinal adjustment of the parts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day ofOctober, 1914.

CARLOS on LEON.

\Vitnesses:

R. M. MILLER, CARRIE M. BECKER.

S "commoner 0! Patents,

WWI, D. 0."

channel at their

